In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. The reason I love this story so much is that it has so many elements to teach each of us the importance of what I call “the Jesus factor” for and in all of life.

We all today live in a broken world, full of broken people, for the purpose of pointing others to the God and Savior for all the world. If Jesus walked the Earth today, He would still want to reach out to the world with grace and truth, even though we were born blind.

I believe our new birth in Christ is as real as being born blind and then seeing with new eyes when we trust Christ as our Savior.

Seeing God in Times of Darkness

We know that in a spiritual sense, we are all still being born blind so that Jesus may open the eyes of our hearts to see God’s love and plan that calls us to be the light of the world, even during these dark times that we live in.

Christians have had some of the greatest movements of God’s presence during the most difficult times of history. Think with me about how our Lord uses His people during difficult times. Yes, even when Christians are being persecuted, the darker the times, the brighter the witness.

Times of Darkness in Our History

Let’s start with the apostles:

• All were killed but John, who died in prison for going public with Jesus and the gospel.
• The Apostle Paul was beheaded, and Peter was crucified upside down.
• As Christianity grew, mass persecution came to the church in Rome and the then known world.
• As the gospel spread, the cost of lives who followed Jesus grew, and the opposition of darkness grew.

Following God in Times of Darkness

We are all born into God’s perfect plan for how He desires to use each of us in what He is calling us to do. As Charles Spurgeon said, “Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, God would have put you there.”

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” -Isaiah 30:18a

If we will trust that lovingkindness and embrace what God sends our way, I can assure each of us that even in pain and difficulty, we will experience the blessing God has for us.

As Isaiah reminds us, “Blessed are all who wait for him (Isaiah 30:18b)!”

We as Americans live in a fear culture, driven by a philosophy that says, “Whatever, whenever, however. If it feels good, do it!” I am sure you know that sin always brings a momentary feeling of pleasure and temporary joy. We all also know that sin always leads to long-term consequences and regret.

So my brothers and sisters, know our Savior still rules, and as that day grows closer, “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).”

Yes, that’s the good news. Yes, that’s our hope of glory. The best is yet to be. Jesus wins!

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